Lamy - AL-star Fountain Pen Ocean Blue

Admittedly there is a bias for old vintage pens with lovely flex nibs here. This Lamy Al-Star is a very good pen, smooth, reliable, well balanced and pleasant to use. It could be the ink I'm using but it seems to be a 'wet' pen, lots of ink flow but not so much that it leaves blobs on the paper. Not much give to the broad nib. All in all it's a good pen, especially for beginners and as a take-along daily writer for anyone. The fit and finish of the pen is excellent. Definitely recommended.

Another beautiful AL Lamy colour

I own this same pen in a slightly different colour, F nib. Not disappointed. Fell in love with the colour (turmaline), and that was it. It is a great writer, and I enjoy the balance and weight of it. Also really like the Lamy turmaline ink -- but I am a teal/turquoise magpie. I tried out the regular Safaris in a shop, and while they were excellent, I personally find the extra $15 for the slight weight/feel difference to be worth it. Not that I won't get a regular Safari at some point! This metallic blue is beautiful, and I'd own about 10 ALs with a variety of nib widths if I could justify the expense.

Gorgeous new 2023 color & same great quality!

I have a few LAMY AL pens that I keep on rotation, but this one caught my eye immediately! I don't typically gravitate towards pastel colored pens but this one is beautifully hued. I ordered one in a Medium nib and paired it with Diamine Frosted Orchid, which is the perfect match in my opinion. The silver shimmer in the ink complements the silver clip and aluminum sheen on the body of the pen. I expected no difference in the quality of all my LAMY fountain pens. Shipping was quick and I got a bonus Fountain Pen Day sticker! Thanks Goulet Pens for always delivering quickly and with consistently great service.

Great pen, Lamy awful service

Hello! My pen is beautiful and as described. Writes beautifully. Except the little plastic push rivet at the end came out within a few days of use. In order to replace I have to pay shipping to send it for inspection by Lamy. They won't send me a replacement part. I can buy a whole new cap for 25$ if I want, but that's the extent of their effort. They send auto replies to every email. They clearly don't care about the customer after sale. Bob Nurin is signed at the end of each email I get, but I only get generic responses like it isn't a person. I'm not willing to pay almost new pen price for a new cap, or shipping to get my pen audited so they will warranty repair it. It's my own fault for thinking they would have good customer service or stand by their products ... MoreHello! My pen is beautiful and as described. Writes beautifully. Except the little plastic push rivet at the end came out within a few days of use. In order to replace I have to pay shipping to send it for inspection by Lamy. They won't send me a replacement part. I can buy a whole new cap for 25$ if I want, but that's the extent of their effort. They send auto replies to every email. They clearly don't care about the customer after sale. Bob Nurin is signed at the end of each email I get, but I only get generic responses like it isn't a person. I'm not willing to pay almost new pen price for a new cap, or shipping to get my pen audited so they will warranty repair it. It's my own fault for thinking they would have good customer service or stand by their products like other companies do. I'll try dealing with this through Goulet next and hopefully have better luck.

Intro Fountain Pen

My daily writer, also my first fountain pen. I stumbled blind on to The Goulet Pencast on YouTube. I have a few old books at home and was alway in awe of the writing style of the past. The pen is a good intro pen. The grips help me to learn finger placement. I will continue to use this pen daily. It is affordable, easy to use, easy to maintain, easy to refill (I use a syringe and blunt needle). Have recieved several compliments on it already, because it is so out of the norm to see a fountain pen.

Lamy AL-star EF Nib

I took a gamble and bought this pen along with Noodler's Black ink as part of my foray into fountain pens, and I'm glad I did. I notice very little feathering with the EF nib on regular, 20-pound printer paper. There is also a good amount of feedback, which really helps me when writing in tight spots, like in the margins on invoices.I can't speak to longevity yet, but I've owned my pen for almost two months now, and it still looks and works great. I actually left it for a couple of weeks, and after cleaning the nib a little, it began writing like it did when I had capped it.The only thing I would warn people of is the triangular grip. I personally like it because it allows me to consistently grip the same place despite having to constantly pick up and set down ... MoreI took a gamble and bought this pen along with Noodler's Black ink as part of my foray into fountain pens, and I'm glad I did. I notice very little feathering with the EF nib on regular, 20-pound printer paper. There is also a good amount of feedback, which really helps me when writing in tight spots, like in the margins on invoices.I can't speak to longevity yet, but I've owned my pen for almost two months now, and it still looks and works great. I actually left it for a couple of weeks, and after cleaning the nib a little, it began writing like it did when I had capped it.The only thing I would warn people of is the triangular grip. I personally like it because it allows me to consistently grip the same place despite having to constantly pick up and set down my pen. Others who have a non-standard grip may find it uncomfortable.

One of the Best Starter Pens you can Get

I know that it's typically the LAMY Safari that is touted as the starter pen, but I picked this as well as the Aquatic to be the two pens that really got me into the game. I chose these because of the materials overall as I'm very tired of planned obsolescence and had a deep desire for things that are built to last. That desire led me to searching through the pens one might typically wait to get a bit later and I stumbled on these. They are amazing pens and write very well. I love the feel in your hand, the light weight and the interchangeable nibs are a plus. I have two sets of these and I plan on using them for a long time to come.

Replacing an icon

So the cat had a freakout and sent my Safari shooting across my home office and landing hard on my porcelain tile floor. At first, I thought it had survived. Two days later, I discovered a crack in the barrel. And I mourned. The Safari, you see, had been my very first fountain pen, going back to the early 2000s. And while I have since collected others, my Safari was still my favorite, with its ultra smooth nib; it makes writing effortless. And sentiment. You always remember your first.But I couldn't replace it with another red Safari. I tried. In my heart, I knew it was the wrong move.Enter the black purple AL-star. It looked right. And now that it's here and in my hand, it feels right. The nib is as wonderful as my original Safari, although I think my original was ... MoreSo the cat had a freakout and sent my Safari shooting across my home office and landing hard on my porcelain tile floor. At first, I thought it had survived. Two days later, I discovered a crack in the barrel. And I mourned. The Safari, you see, had been my very first fountain pen, going back to the early 2000s. And while I have since collected others, my Safari was still my favorite, with its ultra smooth nib; it makes writing effortless. And sentiment. You always remember your first.But I couldn't replace it with another red Safari. I tried. In my heart, I knew it was the wrong move.Enter the black purple AL-star. It looked right. And now that it's here and in my hand, it feels right. The nib is as wonderful as my original Safari, although I think my original was a broader tip, perhaps. (The packaging, however, is no longer plastic and yay less plastic but flimsy paper?)I did keep the converter from my Safari, so my AL-star is the best of the old and the new. RIP my Safari. Long live the AL-Star.